Locking device



April 18, 1967 L. w, LICHTENBERGER 3,314,705

LOCKING DEVICE Filed Aug. 17, 1964 Il fili..

United States Patent O 3,314,705 LOCKING DEVICE Loren W. Lichtenberger, 211/2 S. Federal, Mason City, Iowa 50401 Filed Aug. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 389,890 1 Claim. (Cl. 292-175) This invention relates ticular to cabinet locks.

According to the present invention, the door frame of a cabinet is provided with a pair of keepers mounted a fixed distance apart and releasably engageable with a pair of catches mounted on a door and normally biased to a latching position. 'Ihe catches are limited as to further biased movement by a simple formation at each end of a latch housing, and are manually movable toward each other to release the keepers to open the door. Each catch is so constructed to provide the removable provision of a nger button, which button has a break-away structural relation with its latch.

It is, therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved cabinet lock.

It is another object of this invention to provide a cabinet lock wherein the finger manipulating buttons have a break-away structural relation with the remainder of the lock to obviate replacement of the entire lock upon breakage or damage of that engaged by the fingers in normal usage.

Yet another object of this invention is the provision of a cabinet lock wherein structural means of the utmost simplicity is provided to limit the outward, biased movement of a pair of keeper holding latches.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a cabinet lock capable of attaining all of the Iabove designated objectives, and which is economical to manufacture, rugged in construction, and effective in use.

These objects, -and other features and advantages of this invention will become readily apparent from a reading of the following description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view of `a cabinet door and door frame to which is assembled the cabinet lock of this invention;

FIG. 2 is yan enlarged, fragmentary perspective view showing the cabinet lock in an unlatched position;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cabinet lock of FIG. 1 in a latched position; and

FIG. 5 is a partial exploded view of the cabinet lock.

Referring now to the drawing, the cabinet lock of this invention is indicated generally at in FIG. 1, and is shown attached to the frame 11 of a conventional cabinet, and to the door 12 therefor, which door 12 is swingably connected to the frame 11 by a pair of hinges 13.

The cabinet lock 10 includes a housing 14, a flange 15 (FIG. 2) of which is connected to the door 12 by wood screws 16, and a hasp 17. The hasp 17 includes a pair of hooked keepers 18 integral therewith for releasable engagement with the housing 14 in a manner hereinafter described.

It may be readily seen that the housing 14 is an elongated hollow, substantially square shaped member providing an open passage therethrough. The side 19 of the hous ing 14 facing the hasp 17 has a pair of longitudinally elongated and spaced openings 20 and 21 (FIGS. 3 and 4) formed therein. Also, at each end of the side 19, Ia projection 22 and 23 is turned inwardly of the housing 14 so as to extend partially into the passage, at right angles to the longitudinal axis thereof. The purpose for this will be seen hereinafter.

Slidably mounted within the housing 14 for reciprogenerally to locks Iand in parcation therein is a pair of catches 24 and 25 adapted for coaction with hasp keepers 18. Each catch is the same, and only one will therefore be described, with like parts indicated by like reference numerals. A leg 26 (FIG. 3) extended transversely of the housing passage is formed at one end of each catch, and the other end 27 has a U- shape. Intermediate the legs 26 and 27 is a flat portion 28 which rests against the inner surface of the housing side 19, and which has an elongated aperture 29 formed therein. y

The aperture 29 extends in a direction parallel with and directly over an opening 20 or 21, and by Virtue of the reciprocation of the catch, is movable from a position offset outwardly from an opening, as shown in FIG. 3, to a position directly aligned therewith.

The catches 24 and 25 are mounted within the 14 as illustrated in FIG. 5, with their inner solid legs 26 adjacent each other. To bias the catches outwardly of the housing 14 and away from each other, a coil spring 31 is provided. Thus, the catches are biased toward the position of FIG. 3, where each respective pair of aperture and opening are offset, and Where the lower edge of each outer leg 27 engages, is stopped and maintained against further outward movement by a projection 22 or 23. It is seen, therefore, that the projections act as limits to position the catches in their outermost biased positions.

To manually force the catches 24 and 25 toward each other and against the expansion of the spring 31, a pair of buttons 33 and 34 (FIGS. 3 and 4) are provided. Each button is preferably manufactured of plastic or the like, and is I-shaped in plan by virtue of a transversely narrow shoulder 36 between a wider main body portion 37 and end portion 38. The depth of the end portion 38 is reduced, as illustrated in FIG. 3.

Thus, the shoulder 36 can be interlocked, -by movement transverse of the longitudinal axis of the housing 14, with the U-shaped catch end 27, the shoulder 36 fitting down between the upright arms: of that end 27. Furthermore, with the reduced depth of the button end portion 38, the upper and lower surfaces of each pair of interlocked catch and button are flush. Referring to FIG. 3, it can readily be seen that in the outwardly biased position of the catches 24 and 25, both buttons 33 and 34 are exposed for contact by the fingers of the user.

In use, assuming the engaged relation of the hasp 17 with the housing catches 24 and 25, whereby the door 12 is releasably engaged with its frame 11, to release the door, one need merely to force the two buttons 33 and 34 inwardly of the housing 14. This movement of the buttons is transmitted to the catches 24I and 25, forcing them inwardly of the housing 14 and compressing the spring 31. At the inner limit of their movement, the catches are so positioned that their apertures 29 are aligned with the openings 20 an-d 21 formed in the housing. In this position of the structure, the door 12 may be pivoted away from the frame 11 without opposition. Upon a release of the buttons, the spring 31 forces the inerlocked pairs of buttons and catches back to their biased position best shown in FIG. 3, in which positions they are maintained by virtue of the limiting nature of the projections 22 and 23. To re-engage the housing 14 with the hasp 17, the user need merely close the door 12 against the frame 11. The slanted facing edges 41 (FIG. 3) of the keepers 18 engages the inner ends 42 of each catch, at the aperture 29 thereof, and as the hasp 17 moves inwardly of the housing 14, forces the catches toward each other. This movement continues until the edges 41 pass completely through the apertures 29, whereupon the catches 24 and 25 are snapped outwardly due to the spring 31 until the aperture inner ends 42 of housing the catches engage the parallel shoulders 43 of the keepers 18. Thus, -re-engagement of the hasp 17 with the catches 24 and 25 is effected automatically.

By virtue of the interlocked nature of each button 33 and 34 with its respective catch 24 and 25, damage can occur to a button without necessarily damaging a catch. Thus, should damage so occur to either button, the entire structure need not be replaced, but can be made whole and useful by merely replacing the damaged button.

Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been described and disclosed hereinbefore, it is to be remembered that alterations and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

A locking device comprising in combination:

housing means including an elongated, hollow body having a pair of longitudinally spaced, aligned openings formed therein and having further a projection formed -directly at one end thereof and deformable from a position extended inwardly of said body to a position not extended inwardly thereof; body, each catch member having an aperture formed a pair of catch members slidably mounted within said therein intermediate the ends thereof and alignable with one of said openings, and one end of each catch member having a U-shape and extended transverse to the longitudinal direction of movement of said catch members;

a pair of buttons, each for moving by manual force thereagainst one of said catch members inwardly of said body, each button having a narrow portion formed transversely therein which portion ts into a U-shape-d end, forming thereby a button and catch member interlocked as a pair against relative longitudinal movement;

resilient means mounted within said body between said catch members, and biasing said catch members outwardly of said body and toward a position wherein each catch member abuts against one of 'said projections, said projections being extended inwardly of said body, with said respective openings and apertures non-aligned; and

hasp means including a pair of keepers insertable through said openings for latching engagement with said catch members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 530,862 12/1894 Teed 70-67 2,907,196 10/1959 Duttine 70`67 2,930,647 3/ 1960 Adamson. 3,008,319 11/1961 Cheney 292-42 X 3,160,431 12/ 1964 Anderson et al 292-42 FOREIGN PATENTS 279,223 lO/ 1927 Great Britain.

3,345 l/1897 Germany.

EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner. I. R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner. 

